The Quesnel Fire Department held an open house Saturday (July 6th) to show off Firehall No.1 in downtown Quesnel.
Kirby Booker, one of the department's suppression officers and fire prevention officer, said some of the goals of the open house were to recruit new volunteers and educate the community on fire safety.
"My main one I tell people is always have a plan," Booker said. "Two ways out of your bedroom, two ways out of your house and then practice that plan."
Booker said being prepared for disasters and putting thought into what to do in the event of a disaster can improve overall safety if those events come.
"Even if it's something as simple as having an extra bag of cat food so when you leave you're ahead of the game," She said. "People tend to make not as good of decisions if they haven't already thought about it and talked about it."
The firehall was renovated in 2023 and improvements have made it safer for firefighters. One of the improvements was a sprinkler system so the firehall itself doesn't become the scene of an emergency. They've also added change rooms separated by gender and a new gear room to meet decontamination standards and made many more improvements to the building. It's last renovation was in 1986.
